SOCIAL

Same sex marriage comes under attack in GOP debate

Gay marriage is permissible in New Hampshire, but in last night's GOP presidential debate the institution came under attack.

The debate, sponsored by ABC News and WMUR-TV, was the first in about a month. While most of the candidates shied away from overt attacks against the LGBT community, it's clear marriage equality will have no support in a Republican White House.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum went as far as to say that legal gay marriages needed to be dissolved if there were a constitutional amendment banning the practice (the senator supports such an addition to the Constitution).

'If the Constitution says marriage is between a man and a woman, then marriage is between a man and a woman,' Santorum said as reported by Politico.com. 'Those who are not men and women and are married would not be married.'

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich argued there was religious bigotry against those who question advances of LGBT equality.

'The bigotry question goes both ways and there’s a lot more anti-Christian bigotry today than there is a concern of the other side, and none of it gets covered by the media,' Gingrich said to applause from the audience (as reported by the Washington Blade).

Texas Governor Rick Perry echoed this anti-Christian bias theme, promising it would end under his administration.

The only candidate on the stage to even acknowledge gay and lesbian relationships was former Ambassador John Huntsman, who voiced support of civil unions (a similar stance of President Barack Obama).

'I don’t feel that my relationship is at threatened by civil unions,' Huntsman said. 'On marriage, I’m a traditionalist. I think that ought to be saved for one man and one woman, but I believe that civil unions are fair and I believes it brings a level of dignity to relationships.'